HIV-Testing Practices and a History of Substance Use among Women Living in Public Housing in Puerto Rico

Abstract

The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between HIV testing practices and history of substance use among a large sample of women living in public housing in Puerto Rico and the relationships among HIV testing and history of substance abuse. A total of 1138 women were surveyed between April and August 2006 using a self-administered survey instrument. A total of 82% of the women in the sample group reported a history of HIV testing. Logistic regression analysis revealed that those with a history of alcohol use, marijuana use, and other illicit drug use were more likely to report a history of HIV testing ( P < .05). These findings suggest the possibility that women who engage in riskier behaviors may be aware of these risks and therefore make more of an effort to determine their status. Future studies should, however, further examine the risks among women from subpopulations who may be at high risk for HIV.